


Penitent No More

by Penner Jones (pennerjones99)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Wizards, Child Abuse, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Demons, Family Issues, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Magic, Magic School, Monks, Nonbinary Character, Orphans, Wizards
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:29:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27093580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennerjones99/pseuds/Penner%20Jones
Summary: Tsunade Senju is dreading taking the entrance exam for Konoha Magic Academy. Everyone there will expect her to have a cool magical prowess, since her granddad is the headmaster of the school, but Tsunade isn't convinced she will. But she does know there's one magical prowess she does NOT want, and that's healing.While Hashirama works out some last minute details of exam with the monk Fahai, Tsunade is sent off to explore the monastery where the exam is being held with a strange, nonbinary child named Orochimaru, who will also be taking the exam. Tsunade will soon find there's a lot more to this strange child than just what meets the eye.*I do not own Naruto; all rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**Story is cross-posted on Wattpad.
Relationships: Jiraiya & Orochimaru & Tsunade (Naruto), Jiraiya & Orochimaru (Naruto), Jiraiya & Tsunade (Naruto), Orochimaru & Tsunade (Naruto)
Kudos: 16





	1. A Child Called Obedient

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Naruto; all rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

Tsunade tapped her heels against the carriage floor as she watched the mountain scenery rumble past on their journey into the mountains. She bit her lip and glanced over at the tall, long-haired man sitting across from her, who was also gazing out at the scenery.

She finally voiced a question that had been gnawing at her insides for the last several weeks. "Granddad, what if I don't have a magical prowess?" Tsunade asked the tall man sitting across from her.

"Are you kidding? Of course you'll have a magical prowess! There's never been a Senju born without one," Hashirama Senju, the headmaster of Konoha Magic Academy said, laughing heartily.

"I know, but what if I don't?" Tsunade insisted.

Hashirama sighed and scratched the back of his head. "You're too hard on yourself, kid. There's no shame in not being born with a prowess. And I understand you're worried, but trust me, I think you'll have a special gift."

"Hopefully it's not something as terrible as my luck," Tsunade said glumly.

Hashirama reached across the carriage and clapped Tsunade on the shoulder. "Don't look so down, kiddo! Everything is gonna be just fine. Try to look a little excited at least."

"Okay..." Tsunade said.

The carriage rumbled to a stop outside an old monastery. The walls were low and crumbling. The main building was a low structure made of whitewashed bricks and had a red-tiled roof built in the pagoda style.

Tsunade took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. No matter what her entrance exam results were, she was going to put on a brave face, grin, and bear it. Hashirama and Tsunade disembarked from the carriage.

"Ah, Headmaster Hashirama, welcome!" a cheery voice called. A short, fat monk with a ruddy face, dressed in a white robe with a red habit over-top of the robe, greeted them at the gate.

"Master Fahai, long time no see," Hashirama said, shaking the monk's hand and clapping him on the shoulder.

Fahai spotted Tsunade and grinned with delight. "Ah, and this lovely young lady must be the granddaughter that I've heard so much about!"

Tsunade blushed at the complement. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Tsunade."

"Tsunade, that's a lovely name," Master Fahai said jovially. "Now, come, come, let us get inside for a cup of tea where it's warm. This cold mountain air is prone to give you valley-dwellers a chill."

Tsunade and Hashirama followed Master Fahai into the monastery. Tsunade gaped openly at the magnificent murals depicting various deities that adorned the walls and ceilings. All around the murals, the walls were red and inlaid with gold lettering. Gold-colored paper lanterns hung at regular intervals throughout. The floor beneath their feet was made of bare, un-sanded boards, which contrasted oddly with the fine murals above.

Master Fahai opened a door for the pair and gestured inside. Where he had brought them appeared to be a small parlor, furnished with a simple sofa and a couple of armchairs. A warm fire crackled in a brick fireplace. There was a kettle hanging over the fire.

"Please, sit down, sit down," Fahai said, gesturing to the sofa.

Tsunade took armchair nearest the door while Hashirama seated himself on the sofa and crossed one leg over the other.

Fahai looked around the room, muttering to himself, "Well the kettle is on the fire, so I know they've done at least that much, but where has that troublesome child gotten to?" He opened the door of the little parlor and poked his head into the hallway. "Shun? Shun, where are you?"

"Shun? I thought Xu's progeny was the only child living among the order at the moment," Hashirama said.

"They are; Shun is a...nickname of sorts. It means obedient. Ah—there you are!"

A child around Tsunade's age appeared in the doorway. Tsunade craned her neck, but couldn't get a good look at them from where she was sitting. From her vantage point, all she could make out was that the child had long, black hair that concealed their face, and they were wearing a white robe, similar to Fahai's.

"Did you get out the tea things like I asked?" Fahai inquired.

"Yes, Master," the child, called Shun, said. Tsunade couldn't tell if the child was male or female from their voice or what she could see of their appearance.

"Go fetch them, now; our guests have arrived."

"Of course, Master." The child bowed so their hair fell to obscure their face even more.

The child hurried away, and Fahai turned away from the doorway, tutting quietly. "I still have my doubts about letting that child take the entrance exam, Hashirama."

"Fahai, we discussed this already. They deserve as much of a chance to be educated in the magical arts as any other. The sins of their parents should not be held against them."

"I am well aware of that, but I am more concerned about the fact that the child is a malicious little devil."

"That's a bit harsh," Hashirama said.

"You might not say that once you get to know it. Shun has developed quite a reputation among the order. They have a nasty habit of terrifying their caretakers; a habit which has gotten to the point where very few of the brothers will even go near them."

"An entire order of monks is scared of a little kid?" Tsunade asked. "What could possibly be so terrifying about them?"

Someone tapped Tsunade on the left shoulder. She looked in that direction but didn't see anything. She looked over her other shoulder and came face-to-face with what looked to be a disembodied head. Its ashen skin was the color of chalk. Lank, greasy black hair hung around its freakish face. Snake-like yellow eyes with slit pupils surround by purple markings bugged out over an impossibly long, dripping tongue that lolled out nearly to the chair arm.

"Bleh!" The head said, moving right up into Tsunade's face.

Tsunade screamed and fell out of her chair. She desperately crawled backwards, trying to get away from the monster before her.

The head cackled manically, and to Tsunade's ever-growing horror, she realized it was not, in fact, disembodied, but rather was on a freakishly long neck that stretched all the way from the sofa to the body of the child, Shun, standing in the doorway. Their body was holding a tea tray.

"SHUN!" Fahai yelled, "Put your head back where it belongs, or gods help me!"

There was a sickening slurp! Pop! sound as Shun's neck retracted, and they sucked their lolling tongue back into their mouth, still cackling all the while.

"Shame on you! You should know better than to scare an outsider like that!" Fahai said, then he muttered under his breath, glaring at the child, "devilish brat!"

Hashirama cleared his throat. "Erm, hello there, you must the individual taking the entrance exam with us later today. It's Shun is it?"

The freakish child muttered something under their breath.

"What was that? Speak up," Fahai snapped.

"My name is Orochimaru," the child said.

"Oh, of course, my mistake. Fahai did say Shun was a nickname, didn't he?" Hashirama said. "Is Orochimaru the name you prefer?"

The child nodded.

"Well then, Orochimaru, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance; I'm Hashirama Senju, the headmaster of Konoha Magic Academy," he said, reaching out a hand to shake.

Orochimaru ignored Hashirama's outstretched hand and padded over the the coffee table to put down the tea tray they were holding.

Hashirama cleared his throat uncomfortably and took his hand back. Tsunade, meanwhile, finally thought to get up off the floor and dust off the skirt of her teal dress.

"Fahai, you and I have some adult matters to discuss. Why don't you have young Orochimaru show Tsunade around a bit while we have our meeting?" Hashirama suggested.

"Hmm, not a terrible idea. It would certainly keep them out of trouble until the ceremony," Fahai said, looking thoughtful.

"You want me to tour the monastery with them?! By myself?!" Tsunade cried.

"You'll be fine," Hashirama said, patting Tsunade on the shoulder. "Now, off you go. Go on, have fun." He gave her a light push towards Orochimaru, who was watching this interaction with a disturbing light in their creepy, yellow eyes.

Moments later, the door to the small parlor clicked shut behind the two children, leaving Tsunade alone in the empty hallway with Orochimaru. Orochimaru was looking at the closed door, that creepy glint still in their eye. Their serpentine tongue licked their thin, white lips.

Tsunade watched them out of the corner of her eyes. What was going on in their head? They looked like they were planning something, and that something probably wasn't good.

Suddenly, Orochimaru turned on their heels and strode off down the hallway away from Tsunade.

"H-Hey, wait up!" Tsunade said, running to catch up to the dark-haired child.

"Why? You're scared of me. Surely you'd rather I left you alone," Orochimaru said.

"Well, touring the monastery beats standing and waiting for Grandad to finish. Besides, that monk told you to show me around," Tsunade said, putting her hands on her hips.

Orochimaru sighed, "Fine, but don't lag behind."

Tsunade had to jog to keep up with strange monk-child as they headed toward the back of the monastery and down several flights of stairs. The deeper they went, the less decorative the walls became, and the lanterns lighting the hallway became fewer and fewer.

"Where are you taking me?" Tsunade finally asked as the hallway started to get so dark that she had a hard time seeing the stairs in front of her and had to resort to running her hand along the wall.

"Not much farther," Orochimaru said. There was a gleeful edge to their voice. Tsunade could just make out a malicious smirk on their face as they passed a flickering lantern.

Tsunade balled her fists. If this creep tried anything, she silently vowed to punch that smirk right off their face.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and came to a heavy wooden door with bright light shining through the cracks. Orochimaru half turned and put a finger to their lips, indicating silence. They grasped the huge iron ring that served as the door handle and pulled the door open. The hinges groaned loudly in protest.

Tsunade suddenly found herself blinking in blinding sunlight.

Orochimaru grabbed her sleeve and pulled her out into the sunlight and immediately shoved her down behind a conveniently located bush just beyond the door.

"Hey!" Tsunade protested.

"Shhh," Orochimaru hissed, crouching next to her. "keep quiet. We'll get in trouble if any of the Overseers see us here."

"Overseers? Where the hell are we?" Tsunade whispered back.

"Look for yourself, coward. You have eyes."

Tsunade glared at them for a moment before peering out through the bush. The view took her breath away.

The two of them were in a sprawling garden. High stone walls enclosed an area stretching miles down the mountainside. Emerald green grass rolled across vast meadows. Rows and rows of wheat, vegetables, potatoes, and berry bushes squatted in neat tiered beds cut into the mountain. An entire orchard of fruit trees, their branches heavy with their crop, stood sentinel to their right, and stretching all the way down to the farthest wall. High above, the sky shone brilliant blue, and the warm late-summer sun shone down with little opposition from the few puffy white clouds.

Dotted throughout the garden, workers in brown robes rose and fell among the garden beds, in the midst of tending and harvesting the crops. At regular intervals, monks in red habits stood small distances away from the workers, their eyes following the brown-robed figures every move.

"What is this place?" Tsunade asked breathlessly. "It's beautiful, and there are so many people...are they all monks too?"

"This is the Sin Garden," Orochimaru whispered, "the monastery's ultimate shame."

Tsunade's brow creased. "What are you talking about?"

"Down!" Orochimaru hissed, shoving Tsunade into the dirt with one hand and dropping to the dirt beside her themself.

Two figures in red habits walked past the bush they were hiding behind. One of them laughed about something. Their voices faded into the distance.

"Orochimaru, are we supposed to be here?"

"Not in the slightest," Orochimaru said, that dangerous gleam back in their eyes. "But the touristy parts of the monastery that the public is allowed to see are so boring. Now, come on."

They grabbed Tsunade's sleeve again and dragged her out from behind the bush and over to a hedge separating the neat garden beds from the orchard. They had to run along crouched to stay concealed.

Tsunade's heart pounded in her ears. She was pissed that Orochimaru had dragged her into something clearly mischievous, but there was something rather thrilling about sneaking around this beautiful garden.

"Keep an eye on the ones in the red habits," Orochimaru said quietly. "They're the ones you have to watch out for."

"What about all the one in brown?"

"Those are the Penitent. They work the garden. Don't worry about them; they're all blind and mute. They won't do anything to us."

As soon as the words had left their mouth, two work-worn hands clamped over the two children's mouths. Tsunade's eyes widened. She couldn't see the man holding them, but she could see that the hand grabbing her was inside a brown sleeve.

Almost immediately, the hands let go of the children's mouths and instead roughly felt their hair. Then the right one smacked Orochimaru on the side of the head.

"Ow," Orochimaru said.

The man grunted and the hand feeling Tsunade's hair grasped her by the upper arm, while the hand that had smacked Orochimaru grasped the dark-haired child by the ear.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow," Orochimaru muttered as their captor dragged the two children into the shadow of the orchard, out of view of the red-habited Overseers.

"I thought you said the ones in brown wouldn't do anything to us," Tsunade hissed.

"I made a slight miscalculation," Orochimaru grumbled.

Once they were well out of view of the Overseers, their captor released them, and Tsunade finally got a good look at him.

The man was tall and tanned from the sun. They had long, black hair tied up in a knot on top of their head and a long, black beard that was badly braided. Their brown robes were filthy and ragged. However, the most shocking thing about his appearance was his face. His dark eyes were glassy, and there were angry red blotches around his eyes, indicating to Tsunade that he had been blinded by having acid thrown on him.

The man grunted again and pointed to Tsunade then began making a long series of gestures and grunts.

"Yes, I know. I know. Right. I'm sorry. I know. Yes," Orochimaru mumbled as the blind man continued to gesture.

"I get it, okay! I was just having a bit of fun!" Orochimaru snapped.

That earned them another light smack to the side of the head. The man pointed to Tsunade again and made a sign in front of his chin.

"She's the headmaster of the magic school's granddaughter. Master Fahai told me to show her around."

The man made some more angry gestures and let out an exasperated grunt.

"I'm sorry, okay? I thought it would be more fun to to show her the most interesting part of the monastery rather than the prim and stuffy boring parts that Fahai is always trying to show off."

Another angry grunt.

"Well, we would have gotten away with it if I hadn't forgotten that you were assigned out here today," Orochimaru said, crossing their arms.

The man pointed back towards the monastery building with a gesture of finality.

"Fine! We're going!" Orochimaru snapped. "Come on, Tsunade."

Orochimaru led her along the garden wall, back to the monastery's back door, and they slipped back inside. 

"Who was that? And what the hell were you thinking getting me in trouble like that?!" Tsunade growled once they were back in the more well-lit parts of the monastery.

"Don't worry, my father won't tell anyone we were there," Orochimaru said.

"That was your dad?" Tsunade said.

Orochimaru nodded, glaring at her out of the corner of their eye, as if challenging her to say something nasty.

Tsunade wisely kept her mouth shut, but her mind was racing. Orochimaru's dad was one of the Penitent? Tsunade had never met one before, but everyone in Konoha knew what they were.

The Penitent were people who had committed the most unspeakable crimes imaginable, and as a punishment, they were banished from society and taken into monasteries where they went through ghastly "reformation" treatments.

Tsunade had never heard of one of the Penitent having a child before. She knew there probably were Penitent with children, but she'd never heard of children living in the monasteries with their Penitent parent.

She couldn't help but wonder what Orochimaru's story was. Why had they come to live here? Had they been born here? What had their father done to be forced into Penitence?

These questions and more continued to swirls as they arrived back at the door to the small parlor. Hashirama and Fahai were talking in the doorway. It might have been Tsunade's imagination, but Fahai looked aggravated about something. Had he and Grandad been arguing?

"Ah, there you children are. It's nearly time for the entrance exam. Are you two ready?" Hashirama asked.

Both children nodded.

That familiar worm of fear gripped Tsunade's stomach again. The moment of truth had arrived.

***

Half an hour later, Tsunade stood in a crowd of eager twelve-year-olds, all hoping to gain a coveted spot at Konoha Magic Academy. Parents and grandparents crowded the edges of the low hall, all eagerly awaiting their children's results. Tsunade had long-since lost track of Orochimaru; the androgynous child had disappeared the moment other kids started arriving.

"You nervous?" A boy's voice said from behind her.

Tsunade jumped and whirled around. "Who's nervous? I'm not nervous!" She said nervously.

The kid who had spoken laughed. "All right, sure. I'm Dan from the Kato family. What's your name?"

"Tsunade."

"What family are you from?"

Tsunade looked down and scuffed the floor with the toe of her slipper.

She hated that wizards were so obsessed with family lines. It put unreasonable expectations on those from highly regarded families, like the Senju family for example.

Dan clearly read her unwillingness to speak and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "It's all right if you don't want to tell me, but I won't judge, promise. I'm not one of those hoity-toity bloodline elitists."

"I'm from the Senju family," Tsunade mumbled.

"Oh wow, the Senju family? Really? That's pretty awesome. Are you related to the headmaster?"

Tsunade nodded. "It doesn't mean anything though. I'm just a normal kid like everyone else, really."

"Hey, hey, you don't have to convince me. Anyway, do you have a prowess you want? Cause I think it'd be really cool to have an alchemia prowess or maybe even etheria."

Tsunade smiled weakly. "I don't really have a preference." But that was a lie. Of the eight possible magical prowesses one could have, there was one that Tsunade absolutely, under no circumstance, wanted.

Their conversation, and all other talk in the room, died as Hashirama Senju approached the raised podium at the front of the room.

"Welcome everybody! As you all probably know, I am Hashirama Senju, the headmaster of Konoha Magic Academy, and I am pleased to welcome you to this year's entrance exam."

There was a smattering of applause from the the students and their parents.

"Let us begin!" Hashirama made several hand signs and a finely-engraved, golden goblet appeared on a small table appeared beside the podium in a puff of purple smoke.

A few of the assembled children gasped and clapped.

Hashirama gestured grandly at the goblet. "This is the Chalice of Prowess. It will determine if you have one of the eight great magical prowesses--air, water, lightning, earth, fire, etheria, healing, or alchemia."

There was a chorus of oohs and aaahs from the assembled children.

"Now, some of you may have multiple prowesses, and others will have none. Either way is nothing to be cocky about or ashamed of. Everyone here has a talent for something, be it magical or not," Hashirama said. "Allow me to show you how the Chalice works."

He stepped behind the Chalice of Prowess. "I shall call each child up in order of their family name. Each one of you will approach the Chalice, bite your finger, and allow a drop of blood to fall into the Chalice." Hashirama sank his teeth into the pad of his thumb and allowed a drop of blood to fall into the Chalice. The liquid inside turned blue and brown. The edge of the Chalice filmed over with crusted dirt, and a small rain cloud formed above. "The power inside will reveal what your fate will be."

Tsunade's heart dropped into her stomach. Blood? They had to bleed to determine their magical prowess? This exam was already proving to be a disaster. There was no way Tsunade was going to be able to do this. She was terrified of blood, and Hashirama knew that. Why hadn't he warned her that there would be blood involved?

Tsunade's throat felt tight as she watched Hashirama open a small red ledger.

"Abura, Jiraiya!" He called.

"All right, I'm first!" A pudgy boy with spiky white hair yelled from near the front of the room. He ran up to the front, and Hashirama barely managed to avoid getting bowled over by the eager boy as he ran up and aggressively bit his finger--making Tsunade squeeze her eyes shut and her stomach churned.

There was a crackling sound, and the inside of the Chalice glowed bright red as flames licked the edge of the goblet.

"Your prowess is fire magic! Congratulations, young man," Hashirama said.

"All right!" Jiraiya cried, leaping off the stage and running over to his dad who was standing at the edge of crowd.

Hashirama called up next student, a girl for whom the Chalice did not react when her blood dripped into it. She did not have a magical prowess. More and more students went up, and most of them left disappointed. Magic was a fairly rare gift after all.

"Kato, Dan!" Hashirama called.

"Wish me luck," Dan whispered to Tsunade just before he headed up to the state.

Tsunade watched him go, but she squeezed her eyes shut when he bit his finger. The drop of gleaming red blood fell into the Chalice, and the contents turned milky white and mist drifted out from inside.

"Your prowess is etherial magic. Congratulations."

Tsunade flashed Dan a shaky thumbs up as the latter ran off the stage to his waiting parents.

More students went up. Most left disappointed. A girl named Ibura showed an air magic prowess, and a boy named Hanzo got two equal prowesses in water and alchemic magic.

Finally, it was Tsunade's turn.

"Senju, Tsunade," Hashirama said, smiling down at his granddaughter.

Whispers erupted among the remaining children. Tsunade tried to ignore them as she made her way to the front of the room. She prayed her skirt would hide fact that her knees were knocking together like crazy.

"Don't be afraid, dear. It will be over before you know it," Hashirama whispered as she walked past.

She looked down into the clear liquid in the Chalice. She could do this. She had to do this.

Tsunade shakily raised her thumb to her lips. She closed her eyes and sank her teeth into the pad of her thumb. The salty iron taste of blood almost made her dry heave.

She jerked her thumb out of her mouth and let the crimson liquid drip into the Chalice.

For a moment, nothing happened. Tsunade's throat constricted. This was it. She didn't have a prowess, just as she feared.

Then, the liquid in the Chalice began to swirl. The clear liquid turned a pale green and light shone like the sun from inside.

All the blood drained from Tsunade's face. This was worse--oh so much worse.

"Your magical prowess is healing. Congratulations, young lady," Hashirama said with a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes. He knew this was the worst case scenario that Tsunade had feared. Her luck truly was terrible.

Tsunade slowly made her was to the edge of the room and sat down against the wall. Since she'd come with Hashirama, she couldn't leave until the ceremony was completely over and every kid had gone. She wrapped her arms around her knees and stared blankly ahead at anything but the Chalice of Prowess, silently praying that she was just having a nightmare.


	2. Konoha Magic Academy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Move-in day has arrived at Konoha Magic Academy, and Tsunade is wracked with nerves. Her nerves are not improved when she is paired with the notorious pervert Jiraiya and another mystery kid who hasn’t yet arrived at school due to “special circumstances.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I'm going through some stuff so this chapter is a bit of a mess, and I had severe writers block on this one. But it's done and the story should move faster now.

One month had passed since the entrance exam, and move-in day had finally arrived. Tsunade clutched the cardboard box full of her belongings to her chest as she, her mother, and her three-year-old brother Nawaki made their way through the crowd of students and their families through the lobby of Konoha Magic Academy. 

The academy was housed in a repurposed old mansion that sprawled across three acres of gorgeous grassland. The property was surrounded by brownish stone walls with wrought iron gates. The manor itself was built out of the same stone as the border walls and had high, steeped roofs. 

Tsunade barely noticed this as her family entered the grand mansion. She had been to Konoha Magic Academy many times before with her parents, though admittedly, she hadn't really gone past the lobby and the headmaster's office. 

"Wow, this place is huge! I can't believe you live here now, Tsuna!" Nawaki said. 

Tsunade nodded not trusting herself to speak. Her breakfast was not sitting well with her. Even though Konoha Magic Academy was a lot smaller than the National Academy she had gone to growing up, seeing all these new faces made her nervous--not to mention the fact that she was wearing a green tie, which told everyone her prowess was the branch of magic she was absolutely terrified of. 

"I think we have to check in over there," Tsunade's mother said, pointing to a small registration table near the double doors leading deeper into the school. There was one line for first years and two lines for returning students. 

A boy with long blond hair and a weird metal mask was currently checking in at the table. A black girl with short, curly brown hair stood behind him, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Tsunade noticed she was wearing a blue tie, which meant she had an air prowess. 

The girl noticed Tsunade when she and her family fell into line behind her. "Oh thank goodness! I was starting to think was the only girl in the first year class," she said. 

"Nope, definitely a girl last I checked," Tsunade said. 

The other girl laughed. "You're funny! I'm Ibura Maehara. What's your name?" 

"I'm Tsunade Senju." 

"Oooh, you're a Senju? That's awesome! I see you have a green tie. Carrying on the family legacy?" Ibura asked. 

Tsunade chuckled uncomfortably. "Uh, yeah, I guess." 

"So, are you the kid with the eight prowesses by chance? I heard a rumor there was, and a Senju would make a lot of sense." 

"What? Someone had eight prowesses?!" Tsunade said, her jaw dropping. 

"So, not you, huh?" 

"No, I only have one prowess. But someone got eight? That's amazing!" Tsunade said. 

"And unheard of," Tsunade's mother said. "Do you know who it was, Tsuna? You were there for the whole ceremony." 

Tsunade shook her head. "I kind of zoned out after I went, but I don't remember anyone before me having that many, so it must have been someone farther down the alphabet than Senju." 

"I totally want to be on their team. Can you imagine how useful it would be to have someone who can use every prowess? Not to mention you'll get bragging rights when they become famous, cause how could someone like that not?" Ibura said. 

"I hope I get to meet them. Having eight prowesses sounds really cool!" Nawaki said. 

"Doesn't it? I'm so jealous of them, whomever they are," Ibura said. "Anyway, I hope we're on the same team, Tsunade. It would be awesome to have another girl as a roommate. Or at least, I hope we're both on different teams than the guy who was checking in before Hanzo here," She gestured to the kid in the metal mask. 

"What was so bad about the kid before him?" Tsunade asked. 

"His name is Jiraiya, and he's a total pervert. He was hitting on me before registration started." 

"Ugh, wonderful," Tsunade groaned. "I think I remember him from the entrance exam. Jiraiya Abura, fire mage--he seemed annoying." 

"Now, Tsuande, don't go judging people before you've even met them," her mother chided. 

"Yeah, okay, whatever," Tsunade said with a shrug. 

Hanzo and his father walked away from the desk and the upperclassman manning it beckoned Ibura forward. 

"Oh! I'm next! Good luck, Tsunade. See you later!" Ibura bounced up to the desk. 

Soon it was Tsunade's turn. Her mother had to sign some forms while Tsunade was given several pieces of paper with information including: a student ID badge, a map of the school and surrounding grounds, and a slip of paper with her team assignment and room number on it. 

"You'll be part of Group 7 under Master Hiruzen Sarutobi," the upperclassmen said. "You're supposed to meet your new roommates and your master upstairs in the second floor common area. We ask that all family say goodbye here, and that incoming students leave their stuff over by the wall there; it will be sent up later." He gestured to a place against the far wall where Ibura was putting down her bags among a small pile of others. 

"Thank you," Tsunade said. 

She, her mother, and Nawaki took her stuff over and deposited it in the pile with the other first-years' stuff. Then her mother gave her a big hug. 

"Good luck in school, Tsunade, I know you'll do great." 

Nawaki hugged her next. "I'm gonna miss you so much!"

"I'll miss you too, Nawaki." 

Tsunade waved goodbye and hurried up the stairs. 

At the top of the stairs, she spotted a familiar face immediately. "Dan!" 

Dan turned around from his conversation with Ibura. "Oh, hey Tsunade." 

"Did you get assigned to Group 7 too?" Tsunade asked eagerly. 

Dan shook his head. "No, I'm in Group 6 with Hanzo and Ibura. Group 7 is over there," he said, pointing over at a group of couches near the back of the room where a boy with spiky white hair sat with a young, brown-haired man with a goatee and black robes. 

Tsunade's heart sank. "That's Jiraiya isn't it?" She said, turning to Ibura. 

Ibura winced. "Yeah, that's him." She lowered her voice, "Good luck." 

Tsunade trudged over to where her group members were sitting. "Master Hiruzen Sarutobi?" She said, addressing the young man. 

The young man bounced to his feet. "Ah, you must be Tsunade! Welcome to Konoha Magic Academy. I'm your master for your time here; you may call me Master Hiruzen." 

Jiraiya bounced to his feet too, his eyes immediately locking on Tsunade's breasts. "Oooh! Awesome! There's a pretty girl in my group! Nice to meet you, Tsunade, I'm Jiraiya. You can send the love letters later." 

"Ugh, Ibura warned me about you. My eyes are up here, pervert," Tsunade said. 

Jiraiya spluttered indignantly, his face turning bright red. He did actually look her in the eyes though. 

Master Hiruzen cleared his throat, drawing the two children's attention. "I'll show you to your dorms now, since we've all met." 

"Shouldn't we wait for out other group member?" Tsunade asked. 

"Yeah, I hope it's another pretty girl," Jiraiya said, his eyes dreamy as if he was enjoying a perverted fantasy. 

"Your other group member's arrival has been delayed due to special circumstances, so it's just the three of us for the moment." Master Hiruzen headed for the door, gesturing for the children to follow. "Come along now." 

Tsunade and Jiraiya followed Master Hiruzen out of the common room. He turned right out the door, went around the corner of the hallway outside, and stopped outside the first door on the right side that they came to. 

Hiruzen pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. The three of them came into a small, rectangular room with painted green walls. On the left side of the room was a couch, chairs, and a cabinet with a little warmer on top of it. On the right side of the room was a cabinet and and a small, traditional table and some mats to sit on. There were three doors along the back wall and one door on the far right wall. 

"This will be your dorm for the next four years. This is the common area; the bathroom is that door on the right. Tsunade, your room is the one on the left; Jiraiya, yours is the one on the right." 

"And our other group mate gets the middle?" Jiraiya asked. 

"That is correct," Master Hiruzen said. He pulled two key ring out of his robe pocket, both had two keys on them. He handed a key ring with a bronze key and a silver key on it to Tsunade, and one with a bronze key and a gold key on it to Jiraiya. "The bronze keys are for the common area; the other keys are for your individual rooms. Get yourselves settled, showers are down the hall, dinner is at six. Your classes start tomorrow. Any questions?" 

Both kids shook their heads. 

"Good. I will see you all later." Master Hiruzen promptly took his leave. 

After a moment of silence, Jiraiya asked, "So...what should we do." 

"Not what you're probably thinking about," Tsunade said, rolling her eyes. "I personally am going to check out my room. Follow me, and I'll clock you." 

"Geez, you're mean," Jiraiya said. 

Tsunade tossed her hair and went to unlock the door to her room. 

It was a simple affair--a fourposter bed with green curtains. A single window looked out onto the grounds. A small desk sat against one wall, and a dresser and mirror against the other. There was a rug on the floor. 

Tsunade nodded her approval, then she noticed her stuff was sitting on the bed. 

"Wow, that was quick," she said. She began unpacking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please drop a comment and a kudos if you like the story so far. They mean a lot to me.


	3. Awkward Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third member of Group 7 finally arrives, and Tsunade knows them. Hiruzen asks Tsunade to be nice to them, but that's difficult when both members of your group are total jerks. Tsunade has her work cut out for her.

On the fifth day of school, there was a torrential rainstorm. The sky was practically black all day, and the rain was the definition of bone-chilling. Of course, that was the day Master Hiruzen decided the Group 7 needed to work on the basics of water magic outside all day. 

Tsunade flopped down on her bed when she finally got back to her dorm. "Ugh, what a day! Master Hiruzen is crazy if he thinks practicing magic in a storm is a good idea." She sighed and got up. "I'd better get ready for bed. I have to be up super early for that stupid joint summoning lecture tomorrow."

She rummaged around in her closet for a tank top and leggings and a fresh uniform to wear the next morning. She glanced out the window while she was changing and started in surprise. A single lantern was making it's way up the main road to the school.

"Who in their right mind would be outside in this weather after dark?" Tsunade muttered.

Ten minutes later, the door to Group 7's common room opened.

"Jiraiya! What do you think you're doing?" Master Hiruzen demanded.

"Nothing, Master Hiruzen, sir!" Jiraiya said hastily from right outside Tsunade's door.

Anger boiled up in Tsunade's chest. She had a pretty good guess what Hiruzen had caught Jiraiya doing. She marched to her door and threw it open. 

As she suspected, Jiraiya was standing right outside with his back facing her and his face beet red. Master Hiruzen was standing in the doorway of the common room, soaking wet from the rain, with his arms crossed.

Tsunade grabbed Jiraiya by the collar and started smacking him upside the head repeatedly. "You pervert! You were trying to sneak a peek again, weren't you!"

"Ow! Ow! Let go, Tsunade! I didn't see nothing, promise!" Jiraiya cried, trying desperately to avoid her onslaught.

"Master Hiruzen, these pathetic excuses for apprentices aren't seriously my group mates, are they?" A raspy, bored voice said from behind Hiruzen.

Jiraiya and Tsunade's heads snapped towards the new voice as a rain-soaked, sickly teen with long, black hair stepped out from behind their teacher.

Tsunade recognized them instantly from their androgynous appearance and the distinctive purple markings around their eyes. "No way! Orochimaru? Orochimaru from the monastery?" she said incredulously. 

Orochimaru blinked and tried to focus on her, which they seemed to have difficulty doing. "Ah...Headmaster Senju's granddaughter...Tsunade, was it?" they said. 

Hiruzen clapped Orochimaru on the shoulder. "Oh good, you two know each other, that makes things easier. Tsunade, Jiraiya this is Orochimaru Xu; they will be joining Group 7 as our third member. Orochimaru, this is Jiraiya Abura, and you already know Tsunade Senju."

"You're the kid with eight prowesses?!" Tsunade said. 

"You sound surprised," Orochimaru said. 

"Well, yeah, I mean--" 

"Are you a boy or a girl?" Jiraiya blurted. 

Orochimaru, Hiruzen, and Tsunade all looked at Jiraiya. Hiruzen and Tsunade looked mortified; Orochimaru looked confused. 

"Does it matter?" Orochimaru asked. 

"Well, yeah, cause if you're a guy that's gay, but if you're a girl, well..."

"What? Afraid of liking something new?" Orochimaru challenged. 

Jiraiya's eyes bugged out. "Wha--? No, but I mean, well, it would be weird if, I mean...I guess you're kind of cute." 

Orochimaru's face dropped into a deadpan. "Call me cute ever again, and I will murder you slowly and painfully, and I will enjoy every second of it." 

"Damn, that's kinky," Jiraiya said. 

"Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!" Tsunade said, covering her ears. 

"OKAY! Well, now that you've all met each other, why don't you go check out your room?" Hiruzen said, stepping between Jiraiya and Orochimaru and holding out two small, bronze keys on a purple string to the latter. 

Orochimaru snatched the keys from their teacher. "I'm going to bed now," Orochimaru turned on their heels and went to unlock the middle door. 

Jiraiya leaned against the doorframe, all cool, and said, "Want me to join you?" 

"Want to be castrated?" Orochimaru asked. 

Jiraiya let out an un-manly squeak and scurried off to his own room, slamming the door behind him. 

Tsunade burst out laughing. "You got him good." 

Orochimaru flashed her a smirk. They succeeded in unlocking the door, went in, and closed it behind them. Tsunade heard the lock click. 

Hiruzen sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, that was...interesting." 

"Is Orochimaru sick? They don't look so good," Tsunade said. It was true. They looked like they had lost ten pounds off their already emaciated frame, making their shabby, white monk's habit hang even looser than before. Their face had looked frighteningly gaunt.

"Yeah, they're pretty sick right now; it's nothing contagious as far as we can tell," Hiruzen said. "Tsunade?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Try to be nice to them...please? I know they can be...difficult, but they've, well...they've been through a lot." 

"I'll do my best," Tsunade said. 

"That's all I ask. Goodnight." 

"Goodnight." 

Hiruzen left, shutting the common room door behind him. 

***

The next morning, Tsunade was up and dressed before anyone else. She hammered on Jiraiya's door. "Wake up, idiot! We have that joint summoning lecture with Group 6 in 45 minutes!" 

When there was no answer, she pounded on the door again. "Jiraiya!" 

"Come on, Tsunade, ten more minutes!" Jiraiya groaned from inside. 

"Fine, if you want to miss breakfast, be my guest!" Tsunade stormed over to bang on Orochimaru's door. 

Just as she raised her fist to knock, the door opened. Orochimaru stood in the doorway, fully dressed in the same ankle length black skirt, white dress shirt, and black sweater as Tsunade. The only difference between their uniforms was that Orochimaru's tie was black instead of Tsunade's green. 

"Ah, good, you're up," Tsunade said. "Ready to go?" 

Orochimaru nodded. 

Tsunade walked over to Jiraiya's door and hammered on it again. "Last call! Either get up now, or Orochimaru and I go to breakfast without you!" 

"Knock yourselves out," Jiraiya groaned. 

"You better not be late to class and make Group 7 look bad!" 

"Just go to breakfast already, you flat-chested nutcase!" 

"You want to say that to my face, you shit-eating doorknob?!" 

Orochimaru tugged on Tsunade's sleeve. "Can we go now?" 

Tsunade kicked the door then turned on her heels and hooked her arm through Orochimaru's, much to their surprise. "Yep! Come on, I'll show you where the cafeteria is," she said grinning. 

Tsunade paraded a very confused Orochimaru out of the dorm. 

***

The cafeteria was a long room in the Northwest corner on the first floor of the school. The walls were an awful, pale yellow color. It housed two rows of bench tables, and a lunch counter behind a long window. There was a door on the side opening out to the courtyard. 

Today, the cafeteria was bustling with sleepy students and teachers. 

"How does this work?" Orochimaru asked as their eyes scanned the crowded room. 

"You've never been in a cafeteria?" Tsunade asked. 

Orochimaru shook their head. 

Tsunade tried to hide her surprise. "Well, it's not too hard to figure out. Just grab a tray, then we'll get in line." 

They each grabbed a wooden tray from the stack on the counter next to the door and filed into line behind a group of loud third years. 

"Once we get up to the counter, just tell them what food you want, and they'll give it to you."

Orochimaru nodded in understanding. 

They were able to get their bowls of eggs, rice, and vegetables without issue. Tsunade scanned the lunch room for a place to sit. 

"Tsunade!" A girl's voice called. 

She spotted Ibura waving at her from where she was sitting with the rest of Group 6 near the courtyard door. Tsunade waved back and tugged Orochimaru in that direction. "Come on, let's sit over there." 

As the two of them reached the table, Dan said, "Morning, Tsunade. Who's your friend?" 

Tsunade put down her tray and said, "This is Orochimaru Xu, they're the third member of Group 7. They just got here last night." 

Dan stuck out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Orochimaru. I'm Dan, that's Ibura, and the quiet one is Hanzo." 

Orochimaru acknowledged them but didn't shake Dan's outstretched hand. After an awkward pause, Dan withdrew it. 

Ibura coughed. "So...Orochimaru, I see you have a black tie. What prowess combination does that represent?" 

"Who cares?" They said. 

Ibura blinked. 

"Orochimaru, come on, that's rude. It's just a question," Tsunade said.

Orochimaru sighed. "I have eight prowesses, not that it matters." 

"So it's you!" Ibura said jumping to her feet and pointing at them. 

Orochimaru glared at her. "Even I know it's rude to point." 

"Sorry," Ibura said, sitting back down, looking chastened. 

"Wow, you're the kid with eight prowesses? That's pretty cool," Dan said. 

"I don't see what the big deal is," Orochimaru said taking a bite of their eggs. 

"Well, it's pretty rare to have two or more prowesses, much less eight." 

"Can't be that rare, it takes three to get in the school after all," Orochimaru said. 

Everyone at else at the table looked taken aback. 

"It only takes one prowess to get admitted," Tsunade said slowly. "There's maybe five students here who have more than two prowesses." 

Orochimaru let their chopsticks fall and looked up at Tsunade, blinking slowly. "Then why was I told it takes three to even be considered for admission?"

"What? That's totally wrong," Dan said. "Who told you that?" 

"My guardian."

"Your guardian? Don't you mean your dad?" Tsunade asked. 

"No, I don't," Orochimaru said evenly. They picked up their chopsticks and resumed eating. 

After a long, awkward pause, conversation resumed. Soon, everyone from Group 6 finished their meal and left. Then only Tsunade and Orochimaru remained.

Once Hanzo disappeared out the door, Tsunade said, "Orochimaru, why do you have a guardian? I've met your father. Why do you have a guardian and a dad?" 

Orochimaru put their last bite in their mouth and put their chopsticks down. "It's almost time for class, we should go." 

Tsunade took the hint and nodded. They got up and headed to class.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my work! Please, drop a comment or a kudos. :)


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